Support Services

The Support Services Division consists of bureaus and units that provide logistical and personnel services and support for the other divisions of the Department. The Record Bureau, the Animal Shelter, Property and Evidence Section, Communications, and Jail support the law enforcement mission of the Department.

RECORDS BUREAU

The Record Bureau is responsible for the gathering and disseminating of all confidential information relating to arrests and detention of adults and juveniles. Responsibilities also include dispatching criminal information to field officers, searching female prisoners, data entry, and assisting citizens at the public counter. The Bureau also oversees Citation Management which is responsible for processing parking tickets and scheduling appeals.

PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE SECTION

The Building Services/Property and Evidence Section ensures the proper storage and disposal of all property in the Department’s custody in accordance with applicable laws, and accurately documents the chain of custody for the court. The Unit also continually monitors the building's security system and addresses all building maintenance issues.

JAIL

The Jail’s primary mission is to discharge its legal duties and responsibilities promptly and efficiently while ensuring that individuals are provided professional and dignified treatment.

The Burbank Jail is certified as a Type I jail facility and typically houses arrestees for up to 96 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). The Jail is staffed by fully trained custody officers who attended a Correctional Training Academy. Jailers are responsible for the care and custody of arrestees housed by the agency until their release from custody or transfer to another agency or the court.

Arrestees are allowed one visit prior to their arraignment. Visitation is between the hours of 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm. Visits will be limited to 15 minutes. Except for minors, all visitors must provide government issued photo identification. Visitors under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

The Burbank Jail offers a Pay-to-Stay Program as an alternative to serving time in the Los Angeles County Jail for qualified men and women who have been sentenced to serve time in jail. For more details, click here.

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

The Burbank Police Department (BPD) Communications Center is staffed with 3 to 4 employees on each shift who handle an average of 11,000 non-emergency calls, and 2,500 9-1-1 calls per month. To professionally serve our community, the Center also has direct access to language line services to obtain translation in most every language, TTY/TDD for the deaf/hard of hearing and some Spanish or Armenian fluent personnel.

In 2012, there were over 250 million calls to 9-1-1 centers and at least 50% were not emergencies. 9-1-1 is the universal emergency response phone number to call in the United States when there is an immediate emergency requiring services from the fire department, law enforcement or emergency medical responders.

Remember to use 9-1-1 for “LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES ONLY” – not an information line.

If you are calling from a wireless phone, the Communications Center will not have your exact location. Know where you are, be aware and alert.

Stay calm, be ready to listen and follow instructions.

Communications Center personnel are considered to be the true “First Responders.” They are the first to respond to the needs of the public when they request assistance. Personnel help to provide a calm demeanor to dispatch police officers, and to aid citizens and victims in distress. It is vital for them to demonstrate compassion while simultaneously taking control of the conversation in order to obtain critical information when time is of the essence.

In 2013, the Burbank Police Department Communications Center became the second Public Safety Answering Point in California certified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The certification process included national standards and best practice training for all of the Communications Center personnel and the Captain of the Support Services Division on handling cases of missing, and abducted children. Additionally, the Department adopted a missing person policy which met the standards established by NCMEC.

Although their jobs do not put them in harm’s way, Communications Operators make critical life-saving decisions on a regular basis. They take great pride in looking out for the welfare of the community and keeping the officers of the BPD safe.